Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Canada
Canada: Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) was 160.31 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Canada, 2014–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Canada recorded 160.31 for potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in 2025.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 25.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Canada peaked at 196.56 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 118.31, in 2017.
Canada ranks 20th of 61 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 131.64 | — |
| 2015 | 127.95 | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 134.32 | +5.0% |
| 2017 | 118.31 | -11.9% |
| 2018 | 118.64 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 122.27 | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 196.56 | +60.8% |
| 2021 | 151.1 | -23.1% |
| 2022 | 120.14 | -20.5% |
| 2023 | 125.01 | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 157.68 | +26.1% |
| 2025 | 160.31 | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 125.52 | 118.31 | 134.32 | 6 |
| 2020s | 151.8 | 120.14 | 196.56 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Canada?
- Potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) in Canada was 160.31 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 196.56 in 2020.
- What is the lowest potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 118.31 in 2017.
- How does Canada rank for potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19)?
- Canada ranks 20th out of 61 countries with data for 2025.
- Is potential labour force (current ilo definition - icls19) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.